WINNIPEG — Manitoba’s most prestigious driver trucker awards were presented recently, including the province’s Driver of the Year honor.

The event was held in conjunction with the Manitoba Professional Truck Driving Championships in Winnipeg on June 28.

The annual Drivers Awards Dinner honors the achievements of Manitoba’s professional truck drivers – their professionalism, driving safety and driving skill.

Manitoba’s 2008 Driver of the Year is “Bud” Rush of Oakbank. Rush has demonstrated true driving professionalism as a motor transport driver with his 40 years of accident-free driving, his constant attention to safety, his outstanding customer service and his contributions both to the industry and in his community.

Garth Deschamps of Landmark was awarded the J.O. Dutton Memorial Cup for outstanding performance at the National Professional Truck Driving Championships in September 2007.

The Manitoba Professional Truck Driving Championships is a daylong competition that allows professional truck drivers to showcase their skills. This year 41 drivers competed with their peers in six truck classes.

The Grand Champion for 2008 is Ken Wiebe of Petersfield. Wiebe achieved the highest differential score over truck class scores in the Manitoba Championships. He competed in the Super B Train (eight axle) class. This is Wiebe’s second Grand Champion award, having also achieved this distinction in 2006.

Wiebe, along with the winners in the other five categories, will form Team Manitoba and compete in the Canadian National Championships being held in Ottawa from Sept. 11 to 13.